Filling method and apparatus



March 3, 1936. J. c. GOSHORN 2,032,359

FILLING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1934 IN VENTOR.

JO/f/Y Cf Gaff/0'? Patented Mar. 3, .1936

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30,

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for fillingcontainers, with loose granular or powdered material. The invention isherein described in connection with the filling of gas mask canisterswhich contain granular ophemicals, but'obviously the invention is not solimited, since it may be used in filling any type of container.

In the canisters used for filtering air passing to gas masks, it isessential that the granular chemical filtering material be packeduniformly and tightly into the canister to provide the maximum quantityof material and to prevent channeling of the material during handlingand storage. If the filtering material is not compactly packed into thecanister, channels will form in the material due to handling of thecanister, thus affording inadequate filtering of the air.

Furthermore, gas mask canisters usually have an inner receptacle whichmay be perforated or permeable in which the granular material isplaced,this inner receptacle positionedin and spaced from the walls of an outercasing. An inner tube extends into the granular material and the gasmask hose is connected to the open end 3001' this tube. In filling thecanisters with the granular material, it is essential that this materialdoes not lodge in the inner tube nor in the annular space between theinner and outer receptacles.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and accurate methodand apparatus for completely filling and packing to a maximum densityloose materialinto a container.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method andapparatus for rapidly filling and packing loose material into acontainer without spilling any of the material.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved device forfilling and packing granular or other loose material into a container toa definite level.

With these and other objects in view which will be apparent from thefollowing description and claims, this invention consists in the partsand combinations herein described and claimed, with the understandingthat the several necessary elements of the invention may be varied inconstruction, proportions, and arrangement without departing from thespirit of the invention nor exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

granular material such as impregnated charcoal for purifying air drawntherethrough. The

cylinder I may be made of felt or of several lay--" ers of filter paperwrapped on a perforated metal cylinder not shown) or it may be made ofpaper pulp formed into shape and dried. The cylinder I is adapted to bepositioned within an outer container, the construction being generallysimilar to that shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,501,286 grant-- ed July 15,1924, to Frank A. Logan.

The cylinder I has a cover 2 secured over one:

end and having an opening in which is secured a;

flanged nipple 3 to the inner flange of which is Outlet conduit. 4 ispreferably a thin perforated metal tube which extends beyond the centerline of cylinder I.

secured an air outlet conduit 4.

Conduit 4 may be covered with a fine mesh cotton or other fabric sleeveto prevent the granular chemical material from entering conduit 4.

The parts thus far described are assembled, leaving one end of cylinderI open. Into this open end is placed the filling device 5 consisting ofa cylinder adapted to telescope a short distance into cylinder I. Thefilling device 5 has a bottom wall 6 having its lower surfaceperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device 5 and having itsupper surface at an angle thereto and slanting downwardly to an openingI. A shoulder 8 is adapted to rest on the upper edge of cylinder I inorder that the filling device may be inserted a predetermined distanceinto cylinder I, since the bottom 6 determines the level to' whichcylinder I is filled.

The granular chemical filling for the gas mask filter is placed in thefilling device 5 and the cylinder I is then jigged rapidly to cause thematerial to pass through opening 1 into cylinder I and to compact theloose material. The material completely fills the cylinder I to thebottom wall 6 and packs against this bottom so tightly that channelingof the material will not occur even when the container is shakenviolently and dropped.

The jigging may be vertical or horizontal or a combination of verticaland horizontal. Excellent results have been obtained by verticaljigging, a simple form of apparatus for this purpose being shown. Acradle 9 having suitable recesses to accommodate the nipple 3 and thelower Walls of cylinder I has secured thereto an arm I I to which issecured a strap I2 on an eccentric I3. Upon rotation of eccentric I3 thecradle 9 and the cylinder I and filling device 5 are jigged vertically.

The operation is as follows. An empty cylinder I is placed in cradle 9and the filling device 5 is positioned as shown. The granular chemicalfilling is then dumped into device 5, preferably slightly more than thequantity required to completely fill the cylinder I, and jigging isstarted by rotation of eccentric I3. The loose material passes throughopening I to the cylinder and packs firmly and uniformly against thebottom 6.

When the cylinder I is full there will remain some loose material in thefilling device 5. One of the objects of this invention is to preventthis excess material from spilling around'the machine or into parts ofthe canister where it is undesirable. The filling device 5 is thereforetilted away from the opening I as it is removed, thereby causing theexcess material to be retained on the bottom 6.

It will be apparent that the bottom wall 6 of the filling devicefunctions as a top to determine the level of the loose material andagainst which the material tightly packs, and as a shelf or closedpocket upon which excess material may be positioned to prevent spilling.

After removal of filling device 5, a permanent top is put on cylinder I,the top preferably being forced down to further compact the granularmaterial.

The form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is slightly modifiedfor use with a different type of gas mask filter. This form of gas maskfilter I5 is cylindrical and has a unitary closed bottom and a top' Itsecured thereto. A flanged nipple 3 and outlet conduit 4 are secured tothe .top I6, these parts being similar to those of Fig.

drical cap 2| which is adapted to telescope over' nipple 3 and close theopen end thereof. Cylinder I5 fits into a cradle 22 connected at itslower end to bar 23 having a strap 24 around eccentric 25. The bottom I9is progressively thicker away from opening 20, as in the form shown inFig. 1.

The operation of this form of invention is similar to that of Figs. 1and 2. The filler I8 is removed by tilting away from opening 20, causingthe excess material to gravitate away from the opening. The excessmaterial is thus prevented from entering the outlet conduit 4 or fallingout of the filling device I8.

It has been found that loose material packed in accordance with thisinvention is more compact, and more of the material may bepacked in acontainer than by prior methods of filling and tamping.

In some instances, it has been found desirable to arrange the containerand filling device at an angle to the vertipal during filling. When thisis done, the eccentric opening of the filling device is positionedslightly higher than the opposite side, it being found that with somejigging movements the material may be more firmly packed against thebottongof the filler when this angular arrangement is used.

It will be understood that this invention is not limited to the specificjigging mechanism shown, nor to the filling of gas mask filters.

While I have shown and; described the preferred embodiments of theresent invention, I wish it to be clearly under ood that I do notconfine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forthby way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes andvariations may be made therein by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. As a. new article of manufacture, a filling device for fillingcontainers with loose material comprising a tubular member open at itstop, with a bottom wall substantially closing the lower end and havingan opening of substantially less area than that of the closed portion ofthe bottom, said opening being positioned eccentrically with respect tothe bottom, the lower face of the bottom being at right angles to thelongitudinal axis of the tubular member and the upper face thereofsloping progressively downwardly toward the opening.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a filling device for use with acontainer having an open end and adapted to be filled to a definitelevel with loose solid material, said filling device comprising atubularmember open at its top, with a bottom wall substantially closingthe lowe end thereof and having an eccentrically posiioned opening ofsubstantially less area than that of the bottom wall; said fillingdevice being adapted 3. The invention as defined in claim 2,characterized in that the upper face of the bottom wall of said fillingdevice slopes progressively downward toward the opening therein.

JOHN C. GOSHORN.

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